1
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Rich SN, Carpenter A, Dell B, Henderson R, Adams S, Bestul N, Grano C, Sprague B, Leopold J, Schiffman EK, Lomeli A, Zadeh H, Alarcón J, Halai UA, Nam YS, Seifu L, Slavinski S, Crum D, Mosites E, Salzer JS, Hinckley AF, McCormick DW, Marx GE. Knowledge and practices related to louse- and flea-borne diseases among staff providing services to people experiencing homelessness in the United States. Zoonoses Public Health 2024. [PMID: 38514461 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Louse-borne Bartonella quintana infection and flea-borne murine typhus are two potentially serious vector-borne diseases that have led to periodic outbreaks among people experiencing homelessness in the United States. Little is known about louse- and flea-borne disease awareness and prevention among staff who provide services to the population. We surveyed staff in seven US states to identify gaps in knowledge and prevention practices for these diseases. METHODS AND RESULTS Surveys were administered to 333 staff at 89 homeless shelters and outreach teams in California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New York and Washington from August 2022 to April 2023. Most participants (>68%) agreed that body lice and fleas are a problem for people experiencing homelessness. About half were aware that diseases could be transmitted by these vectors; however, most could not accurately identify which diseases. Less than a quarter of staff could describe an appropriate protocol for managing body lice or fleas. Misconceptions included that clients must isolate or be denied services until they are medically cleared. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal significant knowledge gaps among staff who provide services to people experiencing homelessness in the prevention and control of louse- and flea-borne diseases. This demonstrates an urgent need for staff training to both reduce disease and prevent unnecessary restrictions on services and housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannan N Rich
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology and Laboratory Workforce Branch, Division of Workforce Development, National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial (STLT) Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Ann Carpenter
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology and Laboratory Workforce Branch, Division of Workforce Development, National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial (STLT) Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Bree Dell
- Communicable Disease Epidemiology & Immunization Section, Public Health - Seattle & King County, Seattle, Washington State, USA
| | - Rachel Henderson
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sydney Adams
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Nicolette Bestul
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Christopher Grano
- Communicable Disease Branch, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Briana Sprague
- Communicable Disease Branch, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Josh Leopold
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Division, Minnesota Department of Health, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Schiffman
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Division, Minnesota Department of Health, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrea Lomeli
- Medical and Preventive Services, Fulton County Board of Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Hassan Zadeh
- Medical and Preventive Services, Fulton County Board of Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jemma Alarcón
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology and Laboratory Workforce Branch, Division of Workforce Development, National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial (STLT) Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Acute Communicable Disease Control Program, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Umme-Aiman Halai
- Acute Communicable Disease Control Program, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yoon-Sung Nam
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology and Laboratory Workforce Branch, Division of Workforce Development, National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial (STLT) Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Leah Seifu
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology and Laboratory Workforce Branch, Division of Workforce Development, National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial (STLT) Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Bureau of Epidemiology Services, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Sally Slavinski
- Bureau of Communicable Disease, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City, New York, USA
| | - David Crum
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Outbreak Response Bureau, Maryland Department of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Emily Mosites
- Office of the Director, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Johanna S Salzer
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alison F Hinckley
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - David W McCormick
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Grace E Marx
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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2
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Waddell CJ, Saldana CS, Schoonveld MM, Meehan AA, Lin CK, Butler JC, Mosites E. Infectious Diseases Among People Experiencing Homelessness: A Systematic Review of the Literature in the United States and Canada, 2003-2022. Public Health Rep 2024:333549241228525. [PMID: 38379269 DOI: 10.1177/00333549241228525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Homelessness increases the risk of acquiring an infectious disease. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify quantitative data related to infectious diseases and homelessness. We searched Google Scholar, PubMed, and SCOPUS for quantitative literature published from January 2003 through December 2022 in English from the United States and Canada. We excluded literature on vaccine-preventable diseases and HIV because these diseases were recently reviewed. Of the 250 articles that met inclusion criteria, more than half were on hepatitis C virus or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Other articles were on COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, Staphylococcus aureus, group A Streptococcus, mpox (formerly monkeypox), 5 sexually transmitted infections, and gastrointestinal or vectorborne pathogens. Most studies showed higher prevalence, incidence, or measures of risk for infectious diseases among people experiencing homelessness as compared with people who are housed or the general population. Although having increased published data that quantify the infectious disease risks of homelessness is encouraging, many pathogens that are known to affect people globally who are not housed have not been evaluated in the United States or Canada. Future studies should focus on additional pathogens and factors leading to a disproportionately high incidence and prevalence of infectious diseases among people experiencing homelessness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline J Waddell
- Office of Readiness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carlos S Saldana
- Division of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Megan M Schoonveld
- Office of Readiness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Ashley A Meehan
- Office of Readiness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Christina K Lin
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jay C Butler
- Office of Readiness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Division of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emily Mosites
- Office of Readiness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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3
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Boodman C, Fongwen N, Pecoraro AJ, Mihret A, Abayneh H, Fournier PE, Gupta N, van Griensven J. Hidden Burden of Bartonella quintana on the African Continent: Should the Bacterial Infection Be Considered a Neglected Tropical Disease? Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofad672. [PMID: 38370291 PMCID: PMC10873695 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Bartonella quintana is a louse-borne gram-negative bacillus that remains a poorly characterized cause of bacteremia, fever, and infective endocarditis. Due to the link with pediculosis, B quintana transmission is tied to poverty, conflict, overcrowding, and inadequate water access to maintain personal hygiene. Although these risk factors may be present globally, we argue that a substantial burden of undocumented B quintana infection occurs in Africa due to the high prevalence of these risk factors. Here, we describe the neglected burden of B quintana infection, endocarditis, and vector positivity in Africa and evaluate whether B quintana meets criteria to be considered a neglected tropical disease according to the World Health Organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Boodman
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Unit of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Clinical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Noah Fongwen
- Diagnostics Access, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Alfonso J Pecoraro
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Adane Mihret
- Microbiology Department, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Hiwot Abayneh
- Microbiology Department, Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Pierre-Edouard Fournier
- French Reference Center for Rickettsioses, Q Fever and Bartonelloses, Institut Hospitalier Universitaire, Marseille, France
| | - Nitin Gupta
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India
| | - Johan van Griensven
- Unit of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Clinical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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4
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Yomogida K, Kjemtrup A, Martínez-López B, Ibrahim M, Contreras Z, Ngo V, Halai UA, Balter S, Feaster M, Zahn M, Shearer E, Sorvillo R, Balanji N, Torres C, Prado B, Porse C, Kramer V. Surveillance of Flea-Borne Typhus in California, 2011-2019. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 110:142-149. [PMID: 38109767 PMCID: PMC10793031 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Flea-borne typhus (FBT), also referred to as murine typhus, is an acute febrile disease in humans caused by the bacteria Rickettsia typhi. Currently, cases of FBT are reported for public health surveillance purposes (i.e., to detect incidence and outbreaks) in a few U.S. states. In California, healthcare providers and testing laboratories are mandated to report to their respective local public health jurisdictions whenever R. typhi or antibodies reactive to R. typhi are detected in a patient, who then report cases to state health department. In this study, we characterize the epidemiology of flea-borne typhus cases in California from 2011 to 2019. A total of 881 cases were reported during this period, with most cases reported among residents of Los Angeles and Orange Counties (97%). Demographics, animal exposures, and clinical courses for case patients were summarized. Additionally, spatiotemporal cluster analyses pointed to five areas in southern California with persistent FBT transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Yomogida
- Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, California
| | - Anne Kjemtrup
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, California
| | - Beatriz Martínez-López
- Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Mireille Ibrahim
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Acute Communicable Disease Control Program – Morbidity Unit, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zuelma Contreras
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Acute Communicable Disease Control Program – Morbidity Unit, Los Angeles, California
| | - Van Ngo
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Acute Communicable Disease Control Program – Morbidity Unit, Los Angeles, California
| | - Umme-Aiman Halai
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Acute Communicable Disease Control Program – Morbidity Unit, Los Angeles, California
| | - Sharon Balter
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Acute Communicable Disease Control Program – Morbidity Unit, Los Angeles, California
| | - Matt Feaster
- City of Pasadena Public Health Department, Pasadena, California
| | - Matthew Zahn
- Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, California
| | - Eric Shearer
- Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, California
| | | | - Nora Balanji
- Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Control Program, Long Beach, California
| | - Cindy Torres
- Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Control Program, Long Beach, California
| | - Belinda Prado
- Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Control Program, Long Beach, California
| | - Charsey Porse
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, California
| | - Vicki Kramer
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, California
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5
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Choat J, Yockey B, Sheldon SW, Pappert R, Petersen J, Dietrich EA. Development and validation of a real-time PCR test to detect Bartonella quintana in clinical samples. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2023; 106:116000. [PMID: 37295184 PMCID: PMC10860707 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2023.116000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study reports on the validation of a real-time polymerase chain reaction test targeting the vomp region of Bartonella quintana. The assay displayed 100% sensitivity and specificity for the 52 bloods and 159 cultures tested. Molecular diagnosis of Bartonella quintana can aid clinical treatment during acute infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Choat
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Brook Yockey
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sarah W Sheldon
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Ryan Pappert
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Jeannine Petersen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Dietrich
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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6
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Bush JC, Maggi RG, Breitschwerdt EB. Viability and Desiccation Resistance of Bartonella henselae in Biological and Non-Biological Fluids: Evidence for Pathogen Environmental Stability. Pathogens 2023; 12:950. [PMID: 37513797 PMCID: PMC10383451 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12070950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogen environmental stability is an often-neglected research priority for pathogens that are known to be vector-transmitted. Bartonella henselae, the etiologic agent of Cat Scratch Disease, has become a "pathogen of interest" in several serious human illnesses, which include neoplastic, cardiovascular, neurocognitive, and rheumatologic conditions. Survival in the flea gut and feces as well as the association with a biofilm in culture-negative endocarditis provides insight into this organism's ability to adjust to environmental extremes. The detection of B. henselae DNA in blood and tissues from marine mammals also raises questions about environmental stability and modes of pathogen transmission. We investigated the ability of B. henselae to survive in fluid matrices chosen to mimic potential environmental sources of infective materials. Feline whole blood, serum and urine, bovine milk, and physiologic saline inoculated with a laboratory strain of B. henselae San Antonio 2 were subsequently evaluated by culture and qPCR at specified time intervals. Bacterial viability was also assessed following desiccation and reconstitution of each inoculated fluid matrix. Bartonella henselae SA2 was cultured from feline urine up to 24 h after inoculation, and from blood, serum, cow's milk, and physiologic saline for up to 7 days after inoculation. Of potential medical importance, bacteria were cultured following air-desiccation of all fluid inoculates. The viability and stability of Bartonella within biological and non-biological fluids in the environment may represent a previously unrecognized source of infection for animals and human beings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice C Bush
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Ricardo G Maggi
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Edward B Breitschwerdt
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
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7
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McCormick DW, Rassoulian-Barrett SL, Hoogestraat DR, Salipante SJ, SenGupta D, Dietrich EA, Cookson BT, Marx GE, Lieberman JA. Bartonella spp. Infections Identified by Molecular Methods, United States. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:467-476. [PMID: 36823096 PMCID: PMC9973681 DOI: 10.3201/eid2903.221223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular methods can enable rapid identification of Bartonella spp. infections, which are difficult to diagnose by using culture or serology. We analyzed clinical test results of PCR that targeted bacterial 16S rRNA hypervariable V1-V2 regions only or in parallel with PCR of Bartonella-specific ribC gene. We identified 430 clinical specimens infected with Bartonella spp. from 420 patients in the United States. Median patient age was 37 (range 1-79) years; 62% were male. We identified B. henselae in 77%, B. quintana in 13%, B. clarridgeiae in 1%, B. vinsonii in 1%, and B. washoensis in 1% of specimens. B. quintana was detected in 83% of cardiac specimens; B. henselae was detected in 34% of lymph node specimens. We detected novel or uncommon Bartonella spp. in 9 patients. Molecular diagnostic testing can identify Bartonella spp. infections, including uncommon and undescribed species, and might be particularly useful for patients who have culture-negative endocarditis or lymphadenitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. McCormick
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (D.W. McCormick, E.A. Dietrich, G.E. Marx)
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA (S.L. Rassoulian-Barrett, D.R. Hoogestraat, S.J. Salipante, D. SenGupta, B.T. Cookson, J.A. Lieberman)
| | - Sara L. Rassoulian-Barrett
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (D.W. McCormick, E.A. Dietrich, G.E. Marx)
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA (S.L. Rassoulian-Barrett, D.R. Hoogestraat, S.J. Salipante, D. SenGupta, B.T. Cookson, J.A. Lieberman)
| | - Daniel R. Hoogestraat
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (D.W. McCormick, E.A. Dietrich, G.E. Marx)
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA (S.L. Rassoulian-Barrett, D.R. Hoogestraat, S.J. Salipante, D. SenGupta, B.T. Cookson, J.A. Lieberman)
| | - Stephen J. Salipante
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (D.W. McCormick, E.A. Dietrich, G.E. Marx)
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA (S.L. Rassoulian-Barrett, D.R. Hoogestraat, S.J. Salipante, D. SenGupta, B.T. Cookson, J.A. Lieberman)
| | - Dhruba SenGupta
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (D.W. McCormick, E.A. Dietrich, G.E. Marx)
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA (S.L. Rassoulian-Barrett, D.R. Hoogestraat, S.J. Salipante, D. SenGupta, B.T. Cookson, J.A. Lieberman)
| | - Elizabeth A. Dietrich
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (D.W. McCormick, E.A. Dietrich, G.E. Marx)
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA (S.L. Rassoulian-Barrett, D.R. Hoogestraat, S.J. Salipante, D. SenGupta, B.T. Cookson, J.A. Lieberman)
| | - Brad T. Cookson
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (D.W. McCormick, E.A. Dietrich, G.E. Marx)
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA (S.L. Rassoulian-Barrett, D.R. Hoogestraat, S.J. Salipante, D. SenGupta, B.T. Cookson, J.A. Lieberman)
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8
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van der Kuyl AC. Historic and Prehistoric Epidemics: An Overview of Sources Available for the Study of Ancient Pathogens. EPIDEMIOLOGIA (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 3:443-464. [PMID: 36547255 PMCID: PMC9778136 DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia3040034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Since life on earth developed, parasitic microbes have thrived. Increases in host numbers, or the conquest of a new species, provide an opportunity for such a pathogen to enjoy, before host defense systems kick in, a similar upsurge in reproduction. Outbreaks, caused by "endemic" pathogens, and epidemics, caused by "novel" pathogens, have thus been creating chaos and destruction since prehistorical times. To study such (pre)historic epidemics, recent advances in the ancient DNA field, applied to both archeological and historical remains, have helped tremendously to elucidate the evolutionary trajectory of pathogens. These studies have offered new and unexpected insights into the evolution of, for instance, smallpox virus, hepatitis B virus, and the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis. Furthermore, burial patterns and historical publications can help in tracking down ancient pathogens. Another source of information is our genome, where selective sweeps in immune-related genes relate to past pathogen attacks, while multiple viruses have left their genomes behind for us to study. This review will discuss the sources available to investigate (pre)historic diseases, as molecular knowledge of historic and prehistoric pathogens may help us understand the past and the present, and prepare us for future epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoinette C. van der Kuyl
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ; Tel.: +31-205-666-778
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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